Due to expired travel permits, 431 Ghanaians living in the United Arab Emirates who were scheduled for deportation have been imprisoned in Dubai as they wait for assistance from government.
A representative for the inmates, Francis Frimpong asserted that they were duped by Ghanaian travel and tour companies, who pledged to offer them lucrative job opportunities and others.
Mr. Frimpong said among them include breastfeeding mothers, who have been held at the Airport under harsh conditions.
Nearly all of them, according to him, were persuaded to travel to the Gulf country in search of greener pastures, but the travel firms who processed their paperwork failed to uphold their end of the bargain after receiving hefty processing costs.
“We were first sent to the deportation centre where they said there was an aircraft ready to lift us home but it was not true. They later sent us to their Immigration service head office and then we were detained.
“All we do for some months now is bath and sleep because we are not allowed to go out. Many of us have fallen ill but we are not allowed to go out. Some fresh mothers have just given birth among us and their condition is deteriorating,†he complained.
According to him, after contacting the Consulate General of the Republic of Ghana in the UAE, they were promised government intervention but that is yet to be realized as they continue to endure the hardship in detention.
“The Consulate promised they will support us and get our return tickets to Ghana but that is in limbo. We have not heard anything from the Consulate after making such promise,†he bemoaned.
Mr. Frimpong managed to reach Crime Check Foundation (CCF) to channel their grievances to the Ghanaian authorities to come to their rescue as soon as possible to avert the worsening of their predicament.
He used the opportunity to advise prospective migrants to obtain the right documents from trustworthy sources and be wary of mouth-watering offers from Travel Agencies, but this will later land them in troubling situations as they find themselves.
“We were promised that when we get here, the employers would extend the visa for us but it was not true. Jobs here are difficult to get and so anybody promising you good jobs is lying to you. Stay in Ghana and work,†he said.
However, in its effort to ascertain the facts of the issue, the Consulate declined to comment when CCF contacted it.